IRCHSS results

Mr dissidence

room101 wrote: »

The IRCHSS is saying it is going to be 10 to 14 days.

When and how did you find this out? So we should hear by mid-June then?

room101

Phoned them this morning and asked for a timeframe - mind you they said a weeks time I think about two weeks ago - so there you go.

Dowdy

room101 wrote: »

The IRCHSS is saying it is going to be 10 to 14 days.

Ah for ****'s sake... This is getting ridiculous.

bellg124

Hi Guys,

I just found this thread, just to let you all know the post has just come and still nothing from IRCHSS. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Dowdy

Going by what the IRCHSS said yesterday (mentioned upthread) I'm actually predicting it'll be closer to July before we hear anything now. 10 to 14 days was what they originally told me near the start of May, and look where we are now. They've just pulled that figure out of the air, and are hoping the DES finally approve the list they've selected. If that happens soon, great, but I have a horrible feeling we'll be waiting longer.

pieye

Am I the only person getting a little paranoid about this delay?

DES Bumhead: "But really, if you had to pick the top three Alpha Pluses by their Alpha Plusabilatuide which three would you go for"

Academic board: Out of the 60; Why?

DES Bumhead: No reason- going forward[his\her ability to use this phrase being their main differentiation from a rash]...

Damn it all

Dowdy

Yeah I'm a bit paranoid about it now too, and I suspect that maybe the DES is asking for the IRCHSS to shave a few people off their list. Who knows though. **** it, all we can do is wait.

potoftea

Dowdy wrote: »

Going by what the IRCHSS said yesterday (mentioned upthread) I'm actually predicting it'll be closer to July before we hear anything now. 10 to 14 days was what they originally told me near the start of May, and look where we are now. They've just pulled that figure out of the air, and are hoping the DES finally approve the list they've selected. If that happens soon, great, but I have a horrible feeling we'll be waiting longer.

I'm fairly convinced that you're right and that figure is one that's just been pulled out of the air. I called them this morning (thought it couldn't hurt to show one more person has their heart in their mouth) and the woman I got said that they're as much in the dark as we are! Not very promising...

the-jojo-axiom

Can't afford to go to a certain conference this Autumn unless I get the IRCHSS.

Need to let the conference organisers know by June 12th about attendance, so if I still have no answer by then I'm screwed and I may storm the research council office in revenge.

Got a scholarship last year from the Norwegian research council and they let me know the result BEFORE the date they estimated.

Typical Irish system ha?

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Christ in a box.

Dowdy

the-jojo-axiom wrote: »

Can't afford to go to a certain conference this Autumn unless I get the IRCHSS.

Need to let the conference organisers know by June 12th about attendance, so if I still have no answer by then I'm screwed and I may storm the research council office in revenge.

Got a scholarship last year from the Norwegian research council and they let me know the result BEFORE the date they estimated.

Typical Irish system ha?

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Christ in a box.

Yeah I was in the same boat but only had until the end of May to register, so I ended up taking a chance and going for it anyway. I'm over €600 out of pocket now as a result, between flights, registration, and accommodation, and I'll be a bit screwed if I don't get the scholarship, but at least the conference will be good for my CV and may help me get another grant later.

Between this malarkey and having to pull 12-hour days at work here in the searing heat to meet a deadline, I'm getting a bit fed up...

I emailed the DES earlier to see if they could provide me with any information on when they plan to sign off the list, but I doubt I'll ever hear back from them to be honest.

the-jojo-axiom

Dowdy wrote: »

Yeah I was in the same boat but only had until the end of May to register, so I ended up taking a chance and going for it anyway. I'm over €600 out of pocket now as a result, between flights, registration, and accommodation, and I'll be a bit screwed if I don't get the scholarship, but at least the conference will be good for my CV and may help me get another grant later.

Between this malarkey and having to pull 12-hour days at work here in the searing heat to meet a deadline, I'm getting a bit fed up...

I emailed the DES earlier to see if they could provide me with any information on when they plan to sign off the list, but I doubt I'll ever hear back from them to be honest.

Fair deuce, I was thinking of geting out a loan for it, but I've no job so I doubht any bank would trust me and I'd need at least 2,500 with everything included (apparently Iceland hasn't got cheaper since it went bust)

Red Alert

Guys can we keep it legal please (as we've been doing so far) - it's against boards.ie rules to threaten legal action. One poster made reference to it without doing it, so I've removed it.

the-jojo-axiom

snip

Ruki

Has anyone been listening to the news in the past few months? Or is everyone so far gone that all they hear are postmen's footsteps? A list of our thesis titles would look like gobbledigook to a politician who wants to know precisely what bang they'll end up getting for their buck. They did cut funding to kids with special needs, and I'm not sure what one of those kids' parents would make of my proposal balanced against that.

It seems the IRCHSS is negotiating with the politicos, and every day prob means another chance for one of us to get a year's peace & quiet. By all means, let off some steam; just following this discussion & its updates has been a great help for me. But bear in mind that the delay probably means a battle is raging on our behalf.

Having said that, the plain truth is that the majority of us aren't going to get anything. Best policy in the weeks left to the results: assume you haven't got it. Sorry, but this is getting nuts. Personally I'm finding it easier to get stuck into research now that I've convinced myself I'll have to potter on as I am.

Best of luck and thanks for all the info.

pieye

Wow, told us :rolleyes:

El Siglo

Ruki wrote: »

Has anyone been listening to the news in the past few months? Or is everyone so far gone that all they hear are postmen's footsteps? A list of our thesis titles would look like gobbledigook to a politician who wants to know precisely what bang they'll end up getting for their buck. They did cut funding to kids with special needs, and I'm not sure what one of those kids' parents would make of my proposal balanced against that.

It seems the IRCHSS is negotiating with the politicos, and every day prob means another chance for one of us to get a year's peace & quiet. By all means, let off some steam; just following this discussion & its updates has been a great help for me. But bear in mind that the delay probably means a battle is raging on our behalf.

Having said that, the plain truth is that the majority of us aren't going to get anything. Best policy in the weeks left to the results: assume you haven't got it. Sorry, but this is getting nuts. Personally I'm finding it easier to get stuck into research now that I've convinced myself I'll have to potter on as I am.

Best of luck and thanks for all the info.

That's the best advice so far, with the way funding has gone it is better to assume you have got nothing in order to start contingency planning. I was applying to IRCSET last time around and really the funding is a matter of how much qualifications and experience you have, in saying that it might be beneficial if you don't have an MA but are on for a really good degree to apply for an MA at least if you don't get funding you'll get a chance to do some of the research related to your PhD application. This is just one way I know off that can improve your chances next time around. Keep an eye out also for the feedback they give you it might be a month or two after your application, it's a really good source of where you fell down etc...

Dowdy

El Siglo wrote: »

That's the best advice so far, with the way funding has gone it is better to assume you have got nothing in order to start contingency planning. I was applying to IRCSET last time around and really the funding is a matter of how much qualifications and experience you have, in saying that it might be beneficial if you don't have an MA but are on for a really good degree to apply for an MA at least if you don't get funding you'll get a chance to do some of the research related to your PhD application. This is just one way I know off that can improve your chances next time around. Keep an eye out also for the feedback they give you it might be a month or two after your application, it's a really good source of where you fell down etc...

Fair enough, but I did my MA three years ago and have been working in an office since then. For a year and a half, in my spare time, I've been conducting research for my proposed Ph.D. and if I don't get any funding this year then I'll have to remain in this job because there's no way I could afford to do a doctorate without being funded.

So, to summarise - I am of course trying to forget about this and I am, as always, assuming the worst, but if I don't get funded then all of the time and effort I put in over the last eighteen months, and all the money I'm putting into attending a conference to read a paper, will have essentially been for nothing.

I've applied for a fellowship with NUI Galway too, and I barely missed out on one of those last year, so I still have some chance of funding if I miss the IRCHSS one, but you'll have to excuse me if I'm very anxious about this because if neither of these come through then I'm probably looking at a life of meaningless office work rather than a possible future in academia. I'm very grateful that I have a job at the moment, but the thoughts of building a career in a corporate monstrosity fills me with existential dread...

But feck it, enough about me, many of you are in similar positions, or worse. There's nowt we can do about this now but sit back and wait. Hopefully we'll know in a week or two, one way or another.

El Siglo

Dowdy wrote: »

Fair enough, but I did my MA three years ago and have been working in an office since then. For a year and a half, in my spare time, I've been conducting research for my proposed Ph.D. and if I don't get any funding this year then I'll have to remain in this job because there's no way I could afford to do a doctorate without being funded.

So, to summarise - I am of course trying to forget about this and I am, as always, assuming the worst, but if I don't get funded then all of the time and effort I put in over the last eighteen months, and all the money I'm putting into attending a conference to read a paper, will have essentially been for nothing.

I've applied for a fellowship with NUI Galway too, and I barely missed out on one of those last year, so I still have some chance of funding if I miss the IRCHSS one, but you'll have to excuse me if I'm very anxious about this because if neither of these come through then I'm probably looking at a life of meaningless office work rather than a possible future in academia. I'm very grateful that I have a job at the moment, but the thoughts of building a career in a corporate monstrosity fills me with existential dread...

But feck it, enough about me, many of you are in similar positions, or worse. There's nowt we can do about this now but sit back and wait. Hopefully we'll know in a week or two, one way or another.

In fairness, I can see your point and don't feel like you have to apologise. However, reading that post it would be a travesty if you don't receive funding in some form or other, considering the work, experience and qualifications you have. Good luck with it anyway.

Howyamissus

It's great that you are able to put it out of your mind. I am finding it very difficult. I rang IRCHSS severl times over the last couple of weeks. Most recently, I rang them last Tuesday. Like they told others they are waiting for the Dept. of Education to sign off on the the list of successful candidates. When I asked for time parameters, they hoped that they would know before the end of the month of June. Of course, I suspect they are making cuts but it just dawned on me that they are waiting until after the elections to sign off on the list -- after all students vote...

El Siglo

Howyamissus wrote: »

It's great that you are able to put it out of your mind. I am finding it very difficult. I rang IRCHSS severl times over the last couple of weeks. Most recently, I rang them last Tuesday. Like they told others they are waiting for the Dept. of Education to sign off on the the list of successful candidates. When I asked for time parameters, they hoped that they would know before the end of the month of June. Of course, I suspect they are making cuts but it just dawned on me that they are waiting until after the elections to sign off on the list -- after all students vote...

Good point, but as I said earlier and perhaps I should elaborate, I applied to IRCSET and was using my experience from that application which was unsuccessful (I was 4.5% off of funding) and threw stuff right up in the air. It is unfortunately a waiting game, and it isn't a fair one at that, it really is a sh*tty situation to be put in. It is difficult to put it out of ones mind but in some respects there aren't many other options available, however dwelling on it will make you depressed and that's not going to help the situation. What I would suggest, next to building up the cv with further postgraduate qualifications (which many of you do not need) is looking abroad to the UK, US etc... and applying for a PhD and funding from one of these institutions, it's not much better but there tends to be more opportunities of funding available. I know this isn't much help but it's all I can say at the moment, hopefully there should be some news by next week.

Dowdy

El Siglo wrote: »

In fairness, I can see your point and don't feel like you have to apologise. However, reading that post it would be a travesty if you don't receive funding in some form or other, considering the work, experience and qualifications you have. Good luck with it anyway.

Cheers, but I don't think it would be such a huge travesty to be honest - I'm sure there are loads of people who have put in as much, or more, work than I have and who still didn't receive funding! Work, experience, and qualifications definitely help, but when it comes down to it the substance of your proposal is what counts most, in my opinion. It could very well be the case that they can see I'm committed, that I've put in a lot of work, that I have am qualified for a Ph.D., but that they just don't think my proposed doctorate is worth spending €48,000 (over three years) on. Who knows.

Good point up there about the elections, I hadn't thought of that, it could quite possibly be playing some part in this. And now they're saying they're hoping to let us know by the end of June? Haha, if I do end up getting a scholarship, and they keep pushing the date further back, it might get to the point where I barely even have time to give my month's notice at work before college!

Feck it, all ya can do is laugh about it at this stage. I'm sure the IRCHSS are as frustrated by this as we are. It's all in the hands of the politicians now. As we know from recent experience, our politicians are competent, generous people, I'm sure they'll sort us out........

LordOctane2009

I have to say it is nice to see that I am not the only one pulling my hair out. In relation to the results I rang the office today and I was given a very honest answer which is that they do not have any idea when the funding will be approved by the Dept of Education – and therefore are no longer giving out provisional dates for the release of the results:mad:.

As regards stressing out about the results – whether I continue studying is completely dependent upon the award of a scholarship. At the moment I am in complete limbo as to what I will do and I cannot make a decision until I get the results.

For the majority of you who will not get funding I only hope that the feedback is better than what I received last year. It was full of contradictions and did not provide me with any ideas of how to improve my application. The other sad fact is that the IRCHSS does not adhere to its own rules. I personally saw successful applications from last year which broke the IRCHSS’ own guidelines in relation to word count amongst other things.

The sad fact is that the IRCHSS, and I am sure they are not alone, do not judge an application solely on its merits. It is very hard to get funded if your topic is not either sexy or in vogue. This is not to seem pessimistic but it is very realistic. Therefore, do not take rejection as a sign that your work is not good or worthy of study.

Best of luck to everybody and here’s hoping we will get an answer soon:)

Howyamissus

Like others on this blog, I also got rejected for the IRCHSS last year. Indeed the only ones who got accepted in my Department were rising to thier 4th year in their PhD. This makes me wonder whether the quality of your application matters that much. I wonder, in an effort to cut costs, will they just give it to those in thier latter years. Did anybody else discover the same pattern over the last few years?

Dowdy

Howyamissus wrote: »

Like others on this blog, I also got rejected for the IRCHSS last year. Indeed the only ones who got accepted in my Department were rising to thier 4th year in their PhD. This makes me wonder whether the quality of your application matters that much. I wonder, in an effort to cut costs, will they just give it to those in thier latter years. Did anybody else discover the same pattern over the last few years?

That's a rather troubling idea, and there may be a grain of truth to your assessment, but I wouldn't be entirely sure.

I was informed by a good source, just before applying for this, that the entire budget for this year's IRCHSS postgrad scholarship scheme was already in place, and that there should therefore not be a significant reduction in the number of successful applicants from last year's 152. But, as someone mentioned earlier, with many other previously secured budgets being slashed in the government's frantic attempt to scramble out of the fiscal hole they so gleefully dug, I wouldn't be surprised if this one was cut too.

But I'm not sure if they are giving priority to applicants in their latter years on the basis of cost. We should remember that people who are in their latter years of a Ph.D. have a much better idea of what final form it will take, and will generally present a more coherent and comprehensive application as a result, and this increased quality in their proposals might make their applications more acceptable to the assessors.

As for what was mentioned upthread, about the quality of proposals not being as important as whether their topics are currently fashionable or sexy - the people assessing the proposals are human beings too, academics from various fields who have their own interests, agendas, etc. Many of them are just as prone to the ebb and flow of fashion within their chosen disciplines as anyone else. I don't think there's a systemic emphasis on 'fashionable' or 'sexy' proposals, as such, but merely an aggregation of individual responses, each just as biased and human as anyone else's would be, and this aggregation can tend towards topics currently in vogue.

Ultimately, if your proposal appears to have a lot of merit to one (or three, is it?) of these assessors, then you can expect it to be highly recommended by them. If not, it doesn't mean that the proposal is necessarily rubbish, but it does mean that whoever assessed it didn't think it was worthy of funding. The assessors are all people, using their subjective responses to judge the merits of a proposal (as opposed to your proposal being assessed by some vaguely sinister abstract entity - the IRCHSS - which is bent on injustice and selecting trendier proposals), and if you have written a very strong proposal, with an original idea, and if that idea contains potential for further research in the topic or if it can be applied to other topics, AND........if your proposal happens to fall in the lap of an assessor who can really see its merits, then I think you have a good chance of being recommended.

But now, the remaining question is whether that list of recommended candidates is being disputed by the DES... We'll find out in due course I suppose.

Mr dissidence

Dear all,

I have it on good authority that the budget for this year's round of postgrad scholarships has been dramatically attenuated. Instead of last year's healthy 152, this year's successful applicant list will look more like 22! I definitely know now that I am out of the running. I may have had a chance when the successful ap numbers were in the hundreds, but not now (my topic is too interdisciplinary and dare I say it original). The best of luck to everyone though.

LordOctane2009

What I am saying is that all applications are not being judged the same - the IRCHSS say that "Applications to this Scheme will not be assessed - If they exceed the word limit" - yet I have seen applications that more than exceeded the word limit yet they were not only assessed they were successful. I even asked them about it prior to the closing date and I was told I should "do my best" to stay within the word count. It is very simple there either is or there is not a word count limit. I know of applications being turned down on tiny errors yet others are successful even though they should have been rejected from the start.

From my experience your topic rather than your application is more important. I fully expect to see successful applications that will have breached the IRCHSS' own terms and conditions and it is extremely frustrating to know this given all the work it takes to fit within words counts etc. Therefore reading successful applications that are poorly written gives a very clear impression that it is your topic and not application or CV that is being judged. If that is the case then the IRCHSS should be honest and put it up on the website and at the very least they should start sticking to their own rules.

Funding PhDs in the latter years of their work has a very obvious benefit: the successful PhD student must credit the IRCHSS for supporting their project. And of course 4th year students have a better idea of where they are going than a 1st year student but how can a 1st year student hope to get to 4th year if they do not get support from the start. Funding bodies are meant to be encouraging new students not just hard working students that are further on in their work. In many ways by funding a PhD student in the final year of their work, funding bodies get to claim the credit for the student's toil even though they have provided very little support.

The vast majority of the people I know that are doing a PhD are either funded, living at home or receiving support from home. It is extremely difficult to complete a PhD without any support. What is worse is that you will receive no grant and you have to pay fees if you look to do your PhD part time. Self-supporting students are in a catch 22 - sign up for full time with all the expectations of such a course but work a long with it - or take a reduced expectation load in a part time PhD but pay fees and get no grant. It is impossible to win.

I know that there are plenty of people in the same boat as me and what I want is for a level playing pitch for everybody irrespective or your topic or other factors. I don’t think that that is too much to ask for.

Howyamissus

Mr dissidence wrote: »

Dear all,

I have it on good authority that the budget for this year's round of postgrad scholarships has been dramatically attenuated. Instead of last year's healthy 152, this year's successful applicant list will look more like 22! I definitely know now that I am out of the running. I may have had a chance when the successful ap numbers were in the hundreds, but not now (my topic is too interdisciplinary and dare I say it original). The best of luck to everyone though.

Hey Mr Dissidence,
Where did you get this number of '22' successful applicants? This sounds like a huge cut and a little unbelievable to me. Please be very careful about throwing unsubstantiated figures around as there are a lot of people (including myself) who are anxiously awaiting a response. We are pessimistic enough -- so if you reference such figures, please substantiate them

Mr dissidence

Howyamissus wrote: »

Hey Mr Dissidence,
Where did you get this number of '22' successful applicants? This sounds like a huge cut and a little unbelievable to me. Please be very careful about throwing unsubstantiated figures around as there are a lot of people (including myself) who are anxiously awaiting a response. We are pessimistic enough -- so if you reference such figures, please substantiate them

Obviously I can't tell you where I received that figure. I am sorry for any distress my previous post has caused you, but as I relayed I have it on 'good authority' that a dramatic slash in funding has taken place and that the figure for successful projects will be about 20 or 30 this year. I really don't find this surprising considering the recent cut-backs and global economic downturn. Again, I am sorry if my post caused distress. I would not have recklessly posted such a figure if I didn't have pretty solid info surrounding the ap process (info that has come from a senior level). I am in the same position as yourself, and wish you all the best.

Dowdy

Mr dissidence wrote: »

Dear all,

I have it on good authority that the budget for this year's round of postgrad scholarships has been dramatically attenuated. Instead of last year's healthy 152, this year's successful applicant list will look more like 22! I definitely know now that I am out of the running. I may have had a chance when the successful ap numbers were in the hundreds, but not now (my topic is too interdisciplinary and dare I say it original). The best of luck to everyone though.

:eek: :mad:

Sweet mother of god, please say this isn't true... Can you let us know where you heard this, or at least back up your claim in some way? I'm screwed too, if this is the case, mine is kind of interdisciplinary too.

I'm going to ring the IRCHSS now to see if they can confirm or deny this. Christ...

@Lord Octane - there's no such thing as a level playing field, the game is always rigged. Haven't you watched The Wire?

Dowdy

Mr dissidence wrote: »

Obviously I can't tell you where I received that figure. I am sorry for any distress my previous post has caused you, but as I relayed I have it on 'good authority' that a dramatic slash in funding has taken place and that the figure for successful projects will be about 20 or 30 this year. I really don't find this surprising considering the recent cut-backs and global economic downturn. Again, I am sorry if my post caused distress. I would not have recklessly posted such a figure if I didn't have pretty solid info surrounding the ap process (info that has come from a senior level). I am in the same position as yourself, and wish you all the best.

Jesus... Ah well. Look on the bright side - at least we're all still alive. For now...